Diseasel
'Diseasel '''is the first episode of the thirteenth season. Plot Bill and Ben are Tank Engines who live at a port on Edward's line. Each has four wheels, a tiny chimney and dome, and a small squat cab. They kept busy pulling trucks for ships in the harbour and engines on the Main Line. The trucks are filled with China Clay dug from the nearby hills. China Clay is important. It is needed for pottery, paint, plastic, paper, and many other things. One morning they arranged some trucks and went away for more. They returned to find them all gone. They were most surprised. Their Drivers examined a patch of oil. "That is from a diesel," they said, wiping the rails clean. "It's a what'll?" asked Bill. "A diseasel, I think," replied Ben. "There's a notice about one in our shed." "I remember, 'Coughs and sneezles spread diseasels.' " "Who had a cough in his smokebox yesterday?" "Fireman cleaned it, didn't he?" "Yes, but the dust made him sneezle: so there. It's ''your ''fault the diseasel came." "It isn't!" "It is!" "Stop arguing you two," laughed their Drivers. "Come on! Let's go and rescue our trucks." Bill and Ben were aghast. "But he'll magic us away like he did with the trucks." Their Drivers laughed. "He won't magic us; we'll more likely magic him! Listen. He doesn't know you're twins; so we'll take away your names and numbers off and then this is what we'll do . . . " Bill and Ben chuckled with delight. "Come on! Let's go!" they said eagerly. Creeping into Edward's Yard they found the diesel on a siding with the missing trucks. Ben hid behind, but Bill went boldly alongside and stood facing the diesel on the points leading out to the Main Line. The diesel looked up. "Do you mind?" he asked. "Yes," said Bill. "I do. I want my trucks back please." "There are mine," said the diesel. "Go away." Bill pretended to be frightened. "You're a big bully," he whimpered. "You'll be sorry." He moved over the points, ran back, and hid behind the trucks on the other side. Ben now came foward. The diesel had to stop suddenly. "Truck stealer," hissed Ben. He ran away too, and Bill took his place. This went on and on till the diesel's eyes nearly popped out. "Stop!" he begged. "You're making me giddy!" The two engines gazed at him side by side. He shut his eyes. "Are there ''two ''of you?" he whispered? "Yes, we're twins." "I might have known it," he groaned. Just then, Edward bustled up. "Bill and Ben, why are you playing here?" "We're ''not ''playing," protested Bill. "We're rescuing trucks," squeaked Ben. "What do you mean?" "Even ''you ''don't come in our yard without asking." "And you only take the trucks we give you." "But," they both squeaked indignantly, "this diseasel didn't even ask. He just took the lot!" "There's no cause to be rude," said Edward severly. "This engine is a 'Metropolitan-Vickers, diesel-electric, Type 2.'" The twins were abashed. "We're sorry Mr - er . . . " "Never mind," he smiled, "call me BoCo. I'm sorry I didn't understand about the trucks." "That's all right then," said Edward. "Off you go, Bill and Ben. Fetch BoCo's trucks, then you can take these." The twins scampered away. Edward smiled. "There's no real harm in them," he said, "but they're maddening at times." BoCo chuckled. "Maddening," he said, "is the word." Characters *Edward *Bill and Ben *BoCo Trivia *This story is based off the story of the same name from "Main Line Engines" by the Rev. W. Awdry. Category:Adventures on Rails Category:Episodes